The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to anti-theft ignition systems for automobiles and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Joyriding in automobiles has been a constant source of concern with law enforcement officers as well as the owners of the vehicles. Such joyriding, and even theft of automobiles, has resulted in substantial economic loss to the owners of the vehicles as well as to property of others where collisions have resulted due to the joyride or theft.
Although anti-theft devices and systems have been devised, skilled or even semi-skilled amateur or professional car thieves or joyriders have been adapt at "hot-wiring" an automobile for the purpose of removal of the vehicle.
In the conventional automobile, the two devices which normally require electrical energization are (1) the starter solenoid and (2) the distributor. Electrical energy to the winding of the starter solenoid actuates the plunger thereof to close the circuit from the battery to the starter motor while simultaneously the solenoid plunger actuates a shift lever to force a pinion gear into meshing engagement with the flywheel to thereby mechanically rotate the engine, and initiate ignition. Electrical energy to the distributor, in turn, actuates the firing sequence of the spark plugs to thereby enable the engine to continue running. With the engine thus hot-wired, the vehicle can be readily moved.
Attempts have been made to secure the vehicle by providing hood locks which are accessible only from the interior of the automobile, and further efforts have been made to secure the interior of the automobile by redesigning the window opening to protect against the insertion of wire or retracting the door lock. However, an individual intent on removing an automobile generally has no problem gaining access to the interior of the vehicle due to carelessness of the owner in leaving the doors unlocked, or alternatively, by deft manipulation of bent hangers or other tools to gain access to the interior. Once access to the interior of the automobile is obtained, the hood lock lever can be actuated to provide access to the interior of the engine compartment for hot-wiring purposes.
Other attempts have been made to provide armor cabling on certain electrical conductors within the engine compartment to preclude hot-wiring, but such efforts have not been entirely successful.
Electronic security ignition circuits have likewise been devised, such circuits, for example, being shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,766,400; 3,784,839; and 3,852,614. In such circuits, additional wiring must be provided to the driver compartment to enable the installation thereof. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,839 a combination lock circuitry is illustrated wherein the combination lock actuation means is provided by a thumbwheel combination keyboard which operates in conjunction with the normal ignition switch, thereby requiring that the standard ignition switch wiring in the driver's compartment be restructured as well as requiring that additional wiring be utilized for the keyboard thumbwheel combination device. Because of this additional wiring, a thief or a joyrider will readily discern the additional wiring, thereby potentially enabling the individual to disarm or remove such added devices. The ignition wiring on automobiles of more recent vintage passes down through the interior of the steering column, thus making them generally unavailable for ready modification. Furthermore, with the ignition switch mounted on the steering column, and even with the more recent vintage automobiles having steering wheel lock assemblies, the ignition switches and lock assemblies can be disabled and removed very quickly with a pair of pliers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved anti-theft ignition system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved anti-theft ignition system utilizing a code known only to the operator for starting the engine, the code being transmitted through the existing ignition wiring from the standard ignition key.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved anti-theft ignition system including a generally tamper-proof canister substantially surrounding the starter motor solenoid, the canister having a compartment for receiving the electronic circuitry of the system.